This invention relates to a liquid jet and recovery system for an immersion lithography apparatus, adapted to supply a liquid into the space between a workpiece such as a wafer and the last-stage optical element such as a lens of an optical system for projecting the image of a reticle onto the workpiece.
Such an immersion lithography system has been disclosed, for example, in WO99/49504, which is herein incorporated by reference for describing the general background of the technology and some general considerations. One of the issues with existing immersion lithography mechanisms is the supplying and recovery of the immersion liquid. An improved system for supplying and recovering a liquid for immersion lithography is needed.